So Frankly...

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Yearly Summary 2011

Now that Christmas is done, many of us become introspective. The new year begs us to look over the old, and learn what we can. So, what can I do but review my life as a gamer...

This past year has been the busiest year I have had from a gaming perspective. Not only did I start this blog, but I have grown my collection of games more this year than ever before, adding an embarrassing 65 games and expansions in just 2011. (I like to think of this as my own economic "stimulus package"!) Most of these were trades, Ebay purchases or thrift store finds, so it really isn't as bad as it sounds. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Best Acquisition of the Year: 7 Wonders. Given the number of plays and the excellent play, this is the best buy I made this year. Star Trek: Fleet Captainsstill needs a few plays for me to really have a feel for it. Overall, though, the best game related purchase of the year was the shelves my wife bought for me; I really needed those!

Since I started tracking my plays in 2008, this has been the second busiest year for game plays (just behind 2009). I played 44 different titles this year a total of 180 games played. A few more games will probably be played New Year's Eve. Of these 44 titles, 26 of them were games I had never played before this year. It didn't feel like I had as much time to play this year when compared to 2009, a year when I was playing a lot on lunch breaks. However, between the chess club at school and Boy Scout outings, I have played more games with kids this year.

Most Played Game of the Year:Hive. This game is a huge hit at Scout outings, and that accounts for most of my plays of Hive. There are now four copies amongst all of the members of our troop! This is a great game: really a "must own" game in my opinion.

Our gaming group expanded this year as it celebrated three years of getting together. Tastes are broader, and it can get a little crazy trying to figure out who is playing what, but it has been great fun!

Game Group Hit of the Year:Pandemic. This year alone, I played Pandemic 19 times, and all but one or two of those plays were with the gaming group. This was easily the most played game for the group, and is another "must own" game.

Finally, I will list my Nickles and Dimes: games played 5 and 10 times respectively. (I won't count the 100+ games of chess I played online this year.) Interestingly enough, most of them are games actually purchased this year, too.